When two international companies created the world’s first high-volume facility manufacturing omega-3 oil from natural marine algae, the $200 million joint venture had to minimize any impact at the plant, which was already producing another product. This had to be accomplished while adding new automation capabilities and upgrading a range of systems and equipment.
In Blair, Neb., the joint venture—called Veramaris, between German-based Evonik and Royal DSM of the Netherlands—sustainably produces omega-3 fatty acids for farm-raised salmon without using fish oil from wild-caught fish. They combine a special strain of algae rich in EPA and DHA omega-3. These two fatty acids are reported to be proven essential for good health in fish and people, with unique production capabilities that enable a larger scale of production than ever seen before in algae cultivation.